Duscape (Rocket)
Meet Buscape Rocket is the protaganist of ''City of God. ''He is a resident of the Favela. He longs to escape the brutal life style of the slums and aspires to become a photographer He's shown to have a good moral compass and hasn't succumbed to the same criminal temptations that have drawn in many of the Favela's residents History Buscape was born in the Cidade De Deus in the early 50s. He is the younger brother to Goose who along with a couple of his friends is part of a trio of petty criminals called ''The Tender Trio. ''Unlike his brother however Buscape refused to be drawn into the same criminal lifestyle and kept to his books so to speak, keeping his head down and keeping to himself. His family found it extremely hard to adjust to the brutal mostly lawless lifestyle of the favels. His father earned a job selling fish in order for them to keep their house, in which he had Buscape and his brother working with him. At some point,Buscape met and befriended Stringy who would go o to become Rocket's closest friend. One day,while playing soccer with some of the other young boys, he encounters Lil Dice and his best friend Bene. When asked his name by Lil Dice, in which he discloses it, he is jokingly warned by Bene not to give Lil Dice the ball as he sucks at Soccer. Straight after the ball is snatched up Shaggy, Bene's Brother and the leader of the Tender Trio. Buscape watches with the other boys as Shaggy playfully foot juggles the ball before being joined by Goose and Clipper the third member in which the three depart to hold up a incoming gas truck making it's rounds through Cidade De Dues. As they're leaving,Goose gives a inquiring thumbs up to Buscape as if to ask him if he's okay in which he responds by pointing the fingers. Rocket is later present once again playing soccer with the boys after the heist in which the Tender Trio members are participating in to as act as cover.Goose takes a wad of the cash he and the others earned fro the holdup and gives it to Rocket to give to their dad but instructs him to avoid telling where it came from despite Rocket knowing perfectly well where it came from. Rocket then calls Stringy over and they head off to the river for a swim On the way they attract the attention of a young girl who is clearly infactuated with them as well as excitedly pointing out the new changes being made to the favela such as electricity installation.While he watches Stringy swimming he lements on what his future will be like as he is unsure of his future career. He makes it adament that he can't see himself selling fish with his father for the rest of his life. Stringy expresses his desire to become a lifeguard when he grows up. Buscape is present at their house as his father is angrily berating Goose on his involvement in the motel murder (even though Goose and the Tender Trio had nothing to do with it). His father makes it clear that he would kill both Goose and Rocket if he found out in the future that either was involved in any criminal activity. Goose insists that their Father's anger is directed at him and not Buscape and makes Buscape promise that he won't touch the gun and that he will direct his focus on studying and making something of himself as to make sure that he doesn't go down the same path as Goose in which Goose agrees. He is later seen with Goose attempting to sell fish, He corrects Goose after he incorrectly names a fish as to ipress a girl he's talking to much to Goose's shagrim. Later that day while sitting on the side of the road he is approached by a fully naked Goose who begs a gleeful Buscape to give him his shorts. Buscape does so in exchange for Goose's shirt that he was using to cover his private areas before exclaiming his annoyance in having to always fork up to Goose. He's then approached by the cops who order him to abandon his fish cart and get inside the car. He and his family watch as the police search through the house before finding nothing and leaving. His father officially banishes Goose from the house and the family not wanting to ever see him again Buscape and Stringy watch along with the rest of a small crowd as Shorty is arrested for killing and attempting to bury his wife for having cheating and having sex with Goose. He later approaches another crowd that congregates around Shaggy's body having been killed by the police attempting to escape the favela. He takes specific notice of the camera a reporter is using which gives birth to his interest in being a photographer. LATER YEARS Skip a few years later, Buscape and Stringy are now attending school. He and a couple of other students are joining their other classmates at the beach as opposed for studying for upcoming exams.They join in the rest of the group at the beach which includes a girl he likes,Angelica. He suggests a group photo and is dismayed when Angelica is joined with and kissed by her then boyfriend, Tiago. He orders Tiago to move as to make the photo better when in reality he wants him away from Angelica for the photo.He and Angelica jokingly mock Tiago who is a known crackhead before Angelica expresses want for some bud which Buscape offers to get. Hes kissed on the cheek by Angelica. To get the Bud, he goes to visit Blackie, a young gangster and former classmate. The exchange is interrupted by Lil Dice (Now Ze Pequeno or Lil Ze) and his gang. Blackie is shot in the leg and Buscape momentarily contemplates grabbing Blackie's nearby discarded gun and killing Lil Ze to avenge his brother's death but thinks the better of it. As he's leaving he's stopped by Lil Ze but Bene convinces him to let Buscape go with them both gleefully acknowledging Buscape as the late Goose's brother. Buscape is seen sitting at a beach with Angelica,looking over some of Buscape's photos he's taken.While looking over the photos,they share a passionate.However there potential lover alone time is interrupted by the grunts (a group of lawless kids known for breaking the rules) who ask Buscape for a toke. Buscape gives the one he's smoking to them right as Angelica leaves in disgust in which Buscape runs after them, leaving his toke with the runts who acknowledge it calling him "cool" He's present when Bene is introduced by Tiago to the rest of the Groovies in which he officially becomes one. Much to Buscape's shagrim, Angelica shows a clear liking to him. Buscape,Angelica,Stringy and a few other Groovies attend a party.They meet up with Bene ad Tiago and Buscape shows to still have hard feeling towards Tiago most likely due to his former relationship with Angelica.While Bene invites Angelica to dance with him,Buscape and Stringy begins to,rather loudly, plan out Buscape's plan to invite Angelica out to Stringy's parents house as it is empty at the time where Buscape plans to make his move on her.He annoyingly tells Stringy to quiet down as he begins to yell it out. A dismayed Buscape and Stringy watch as Bene and Angelica become more intimate in their dance which Buscupe dismisses. He,Buscape and Angelica join the rest of the crowd in watching an argument between Lil Ze and Carrot regarding the runts doing holdups in the Lil Ze's territory. He attempts to pry Angelica away from the crowd which she shrugs off With Angelica entering into a relationship with Bene,Buscape decides to turn his attention to earning money to live off and buy himself a new camera.He earns a job at the supermarket to do just that but is fired after he interacts with the runts right before they're caught robbing the place in which Buscape is believed to be associated with them. He and Stringy decide to rob someone for their money (breaking his promise to Goose never to use his gun and,for the first time making it seem as if he's going to end up being drawn into the life of crime after all).While on a bus they are about to rob Manuel "Knockout Ned", another resident of the City of God but relent after finding out he's done karate and that he's too peaceful of a person as he gives the boys advice to work to get out of the Favela.They try to rob a bakery but decide not to after they flirt with a female worker there getting her number with a free lolly.While pondering on who they can rob next,they're approached by a man looking for directions to Sao Paulo. Realizing that his destination is quite far away,they jump in on the pretense of helping him. However while on the way they decide not to as he seems too cool having rolled a joint with them. He attends Bene's Farewell party chilling up top with the party's DJ and Stringy dancing as well as taking a turn on the DJ set choosing music. He's called down by Bene who has just earned a camera off Tiago and his friend in exchange for some bud. While trying out his new camera it's snatched off him by an angry and jealous Lil Ze prompting a tug of war between them. Bene is suddenly shot and killed and Rocket flees alongside the rest of the party goers out of the dance hall. Buscape watches at the window of Stringy's parent's apartment along with Stringy,his parent's and a few other people in the apartment building as Knockout Ned stands over one of Lil Ze's men who he has just shot in a blind rage after the deaths of his Uncle and Brother and the raping at Lil Ze's men of his girlfriend.He takes photos of the scene below him. He is a victim of the police's brutal shakedown of the favela being stripped down and searched by the cops. Having had enough one night he sneaks out and gets a job delivering papers. He goes to see a friend of his working at the paper printing company who also lives in the favela. While there he meets a famous photographer,whom Buscape idolizes named Rodgrio Ris He's later called to Lil Ze's apartment in which he's asked to take photos of Lil Ze and his gang with the camera that Bene had originally wanted to give to him which has since been Lil Ze's possession. He takes the photos and is asked to have them published and brought back to Ze. Right as he's about to remove the film, Lil Ze insists on Buscape keeping the camera and fufilling Bene's final wish before his untimely death. Buscape leaves grinning most likely due to the act he escaped and because he knows these photos could propel him in his photography aspirations (there weren't any others who would have actual group shots of Lil Ze and his gang close up like the ones that Buscape has). He later goes to his friend at the publishing company and requests for the photos to be developed in which his friend turns them down fearing the consequences of getting fired for doing such an act However at that moment,Rodgrio appears and asks for his and the film that Buscape was holding to be developed as well. However the photos once developed are left there resulting in Marina,a publisher there,taking the photos and adding them onto the front page of the following paper. Angry and scared that he's going to die, he furiously confronts Marina who attempts to explain that anything left in the dark room is usually published. After calming down, the photographer's discover that Buscape is from the City of God and ask that he work for them getting more photos of Lil Ze (due to the war breaking out getting into the favela was near impossible).Buscape while at first due to his fear of being killed is reluctant he eventually relents agreeing to get the photos. He's given a new camera to take the photos with but requests help with somewhere to loft as he's unable to return to his home. Marina ultimately offers her place for the night,resulting in Buscape having his first ever sexual encounter with her.Buscape is unaware that Lil Ze is actually pleased with the photos being published as they show everyone who the real boss of the City of God is Next day Buscape and Stringy are walking through the city discussing the photos that Buscape's been tasked with capturing. Stringy is questioning whether it's worth Buscape risking his life for the photos but Buscape is adamant on his decision knowing that this would boost his chances of getting official work as a photographer for the newspaper company and citing that Lil Ze would have to catch him first. Right at that moment Lil Ze and most of his gang as well as the runts appear in front of them. Lil Ze shouts out for Buscape to catch a chicken that they'd been chasing that's mere feet away from Buscape. As Buscape is about to attempt to catch it, he finds himself suddenly in the middle of a stadoff between Lil Ze and his gang and a small group of cops. Obviously realizing that they're outnumbered the cops back off. Much to Buscape's surprise, he's asked to take a photo of Lil Ze and his gang.Right as Buscape snaps the photo,one of the members at the front of Lil Ze's gang is shot square in the chest. Buscape and Stringy take cover behind a low wall nearby as Carrot's gang and Lil Ze's gang initiate a shootout in which Buscape begins to snap photos of the events happening. He manages to get photos of Lil Ze's moments before he crashes a truck that he and Tiago had hijacked and get's photos of the cops arresting him. After telling Stringy he has something to finish off he runs off after the cop squad car that's transporting Carrot, his gang and Lil Ze. He follows them into a ally where he gets photos of the cops releasing Lil Ze and taking his remaining money as a down payment. He captures photos of the Runts ambushing and killing Lil Ze as revenge for killing a member of theirs as well as to take over the favela's crime business. He takes photos of Lil Ze's dead body then leaves with a small smirk Buscape is faced with a choice, he can either post the photo of Lil Ze's dealing with the cops which would make him famous as well as exposing the corrupt status of the cops but it would most definitely cause retaliation with the cops so he ultimately decides to publish the photos of Lil Ze dead which earns him a internship with the newspaper publishing company.He goes on to become a photographer under the name Wilson Rodrigues Trivia -The name that he later goes by at the end of the events of the film, Wilson Rodrigues, is the name of the real life counterpart that is character is based on